Device for retaining an item of cutlery

ABSTRACT

With a device for the retention of an item of cutlery at the edge of an item of tableware, which has a retaining body ( 1 ) provided with a clamping mouth ( 2 ) delimited by two clamping jaws ( 4, 5 ), for the clamping of an item of cutlery, said device being capable of being supported at the edge of an item of tableware an universally applicable construction may be achieved in that the retaining body ( 1 ) can be applied loose at the edge of an item of tableware by means of a suspension device, and that the clamping mouth ( 2 ) has several clamping sections ( 2   a   , 2   b,    2   c ) allocated to different thicknesses of items of cutlery.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to a device for retaining an item of cutlery capable of being supported at the edge of an item of tableware, which has a retaining body provided with a clamping mouth delimited by two clamping jaws for clamping an item of cutlery.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] A device of this type is known from DE-PS 637 094. With this known device, the disk-shaped retaining body is provided with two clamping slots, crossing one another, delimited in each case by flanks running parallel to one another, of which the clamping slot arranged as a radial slot parallel to the disk axis serves to clamp the retaining body at the edge of an item of cutlery, and the other clamping slot designed as a circumferential slot crossing the axis of the disk serves to clamp an item of cutlery. The double clamping effect leads to a comparatively rigid, impractical arrangement. A further disadvantage is to be seen in the fact that the clamping slots are designed in this case as narrow slots with parallel side flanks. In this situation, from a specific thickness of the item which to be clamped, comparatively large opening angles arise, and correspondingly great expulsion forces taking effect on the item which is to be clamped. In addition to this, with a greater thickness of the item which is to be clamped, high spring forces arise, which can lead to the breakage of the retaining body. The known device can accordingly be shown to be not universal, reliable, or secure enough.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Taking this as a basis, it is therefore the problem of the present invention to improve a device of the type referred to in the preamble with simple and economical means in such a way that all items of cutlery, regardless of the thickness of their shafts, can be clamped with equal reliability and security, and that the retaining body can be supported on an item of tableware with equal reliability and security, regardless of the diameter of the edge of said item of tableware.

[0004] This problem is resolved according to the invention in that the retaining body is capable of being applied loose at the edge of the item of tableware by means of a suspension device, and that the clamping mouth for clamping an item of cutlery has several clamping sections allocated to different thicknesses of items of cutlery.

[0005] With these measures, the disadvantages referred to heretofore are entirely avoided. The suspension device allocated to the item of cutlery allows, in an advantageous manner, for a rapid and easy support of the retaining body on the side of an item of tableware, regardless of the individual thickness of the edge of the item of tableware and of the individual edge diameter of the item of tableware. As a result of the loose arrangement, a simple and rational means of handling is provided. The clamp sections on the side of the clamping jaw, allocated to the different thicknesses of items of cutlery, ensure that the expansion of the clamping mouth remains in the same range even with widely differing thicknesses of the items of cutlery which are to be clamped, so that in any event a reliable clamping effect is achieved without the risk of breakage or slackening of the clamping body arising. The measures according to the invention accordingly provide a high degree of security and reliability as well as universal applicability.

[0006] Advantageous embodiments and purposeful further designs of the measures described heretofore are described in the sub-claims. Thus, for example, at least one clamping jaw may have, on the jaw side, an engagement contour, designed as a corrugated contour, with engagement recesses arranged one behind another, with a clear width decreasing from the outside to the inside. This allows for what is practically a frame-like click insertion of items of cutlery of different thicknesses.

[0007] To the purpose, both clamping jaws may have an engagement contour in corrugated form, running symmetrically to one another. This provides an especially high degree of security.

[0008] To advantage, the clamping mouth is designed as a slot of a plate-shaped retaining body, whereby the slot, which has a clear width of the sections adjacent to one another which decreases from the outside to the inside, is designed to the purpose as a radial recess passing over the thickness of the plate-shaped retaining body, running from the edge to the inside. This provides a width of the jaws which corresponds to the thickness of the retaining body, and ensures that a shaft of an item of cutlery allocated to it engages practically in the direction of the thickness of the retaining body, and is therefore encompassed by the retaining body, which facilitates the handling of the item of cutlery in question when the retaining body is in position. In addition, the measures described facilitate the application of a suspension device.

[0009] To form the suspension device, provision may be made to advantage of a groove, running approximately parallel to the slot forming the clamping mouth, passing continuously from edge to edge.

[0010] A further purposeful measure may be provided in that the plate-shaped retaining body is designed as a round disk, which has a flattening on the circumferential side, for the purpose running parallel to the clamping jaws. The flattening forms a deposit surface, which facilitates the sorting of the cutlery holder according to the invention in a cutlery box or the like. At the same time, a defined upper surface is provided as a result, so that decoration which may be provided here will likewise be facing upwards be protected in the storage state, and in this manner protected.

[0011] Further advantageous embodiments and purposeful further designs of the measures referred to heretofore are described in the remaining sub-claims and can be derived in greater detail from the embodiment description provided hereinafter, on the basis of the drawings. In the drawings described hereinafter, the figures show:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0012]FIG. 1 a plan view of a first variant of a cutlery holder according to the invention,

[0013]FIG. 2 a side view of the arrangement according to FIG. 1,

[0014]FIG. 3 a plan view of a further variant of the cutlery holder according to the invention, and

[0015]FIG. 4 a side view of the arrangement according to FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] The cutlery holder on the basis of FIGS. 1 and 2 consists of a plate-shaped retaining body 1, designed in this case as a disk, which has a clamping mouth 2 for clamping the shaft of an item of cutlery, not shown in any greater detail, for example of a spoon or a fork, and is provided with a suspension device for loose suspension at the edge of an item of tableware, not shown in any greater detail, such as a dish or bowl, etc. Said suspension device, in the embodiment shown, as can best be seen in FIG. 2, is designed as a groove 3, delimited by secants approximately parallel to the clamping mouth 2, provided on the underside of the disk on which the retaining body 1 is based. Instead of a groove, provision can of course also be made for a hook or a web or the like.

[0017] The slot forming the clamping mouth 2 is designed as a recess passing over the thickness of the disk forming the retaining body 1, running from the circumference of the disk to the inside, in this case approximately secant-parallel. The areas of the disk on which the retaining body 1 is based, distanced from one another by said recess, form stable clamping jaws 4, 5, with a width on the entire length of the clamping mouth which corresponds to the thickness of the disk.

[0018] The clamping mouth 2 narrows in steps from the outside to the inside. In the design upon which FIGS. 1 and 2 are based, the clamping jaw 4 is provided on the mouth side with a step contour 6, gradated from the outside to the inside. In this way, clamping jaw sections 2 a, 2 b, 2 c are derived, located adjacent to one another, with clear widths decreasing from the outside to the inside. The clamp sections 2 a, 2 b, 2 c, with differing clear widths are well-suited for clamping items of cutlery of different thicknesses, whereby items of cutlery with thin shafts, such as tea spoons, can be clamped in the innermost clamping section 2 c, while parts with thick shafts, such as ladles or scoops, can be clamped in the outermost clamping section 2 a, and items with medium shaft thickness in the middle clamping section 2 b.

[0019] With the embodiment upon which FIGS. 1 and 2 are based, only the clamping jaw 4 is provided with a step contour 6. The clamping jaw 5 has a contact surface passing flat over the entire depth of the clamping mouth 2. Naturally, both clamping jaws 4 and 5 could of course also be provided with a step contour of the type indicated by 6. It would likewise be conceivable for the mouth-side contact surfaces of the clamping jaws 4, 5, provided with the continuous or mutually-stepped sections, to be provided with a surface structure which improves the desired clamping effect, for example in the form of grooves or teeth or the like.

[0020] The basic structure of the design upon which FIGS. 3 and 4 are based corresponds to the arrangement according to FIGS. 1 and 2. Accordingly, in the first instance details are considered hereinafter of the differences, whereby, for the sake of simplicity, the same reference designations are used for the same parts.

[0021] With the arrangement according to FIGS. 3 and 4, the clamping jaws 4, 5, delimiting the clamping mouth 2, are provided on the mouth side with a corrugated engagement contour 7, to form the clamping sections 2 a, 2 b, 2 c, which results in depressions arranged one behind another in the direction of the depth of the clamping mouth 2, with clear width decreasing from the outside to the inside. It would of course also be conceivable for only one clamping jaw to be provided with a corrugated contour of the type indicated by 7. In this case too, in addition to the corrugated contour, a surface contour arrangement on the mouth side could be provided in the form of grooves or teeth, etc.

[0022] To form a suspension device with the arrangement according to FIGS. 3 and 4, as FIG. 4 shows by way of indication, a strip 8 is provided, projecting opposite the underside of the disk, with which the cutlery holder according to the invention can be supported at the edge of an item of tableware. The strip 8 is formed as part of the arrangement in this case, but an applied strip would also be conceivable.

[0023] The round disk on which the retaining body 1 is based is provided in the arrangement according to FIGS. 3 and 4 with a flattening area 9 on the edge side, approximately parallel to the slot forming the clamping mouth 2. This flattening area forms a standing surface, on which the cutlery holder is set up in a cutlery box or the like. In the circumferential area located opposite the flattening area 9, the cutlery holder on which FIGS. 3 and 4 is based is provided with a decorative element 10, in this case in the form of a projection designed and applied in the form of a precious stone. As a consequence of the positioning of the decorative element 10 opposite the flattening area 9, said decorative element points upwards in the storage position, and is therefore protected.

[0024] The retaining body 1 requires practically no rubber-elastic properties. The retaining body 1 can therefore be manufactured from a comparatively hard material which produces the desired clamping effect, such as metal or hard plastic. To the purpose, the retaining body 1 is manufactured as an injection moulding. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A device for the retention of an item of cutlery at the edge of an item of tableware, which has a retaining body provided with a clasping mouth delimited by two clamping jaws, for the clamping of an item of cutlery, said device being capable of being supported at the edge of an item of tableware, whereby the retaining body can be applied loose at the edge of an item of tableware by means of a suspension device, and that the clamping mouth has several clamping sections allocated to different thicknesses of items of cutlery.
 2. The device according to claim 1, whereby the clamping mouth is designed as a slot of a plate-shaped retaining body, whereby the slot has several sections adjacent to one another, with a clear width reducing from the outside to the inside.
 3. The device according to claim 1, whereby at least one clamping jaw has on the mouth side a stepped contour with clamping sections gradated against one another.
 4. The device according to claim 1, whereby at least one clamping jaw has on the mouth side a corrugated contour with engagement recesses arranged one behind another forming the clamping sections, with clear width reducing from the outside to the inside.
 5. The device according to claim 1, whereby both clamping jaws have a stepped contour and/or corrugated contour.
 6. The device according to claim 1, whereby the surface of the clamping jaws on the clamping mouth side has a surface structure which increases its roughness.
 7. The device according to claim 2, whereby the slot forming the clamping mouth is formed as a recess passing over the thickness of the plate-shaped retaining body, running from the edge inwards.
 8. The device according to claim 2, whereby the plate-shaped retaining body, in order to form the suspension device has, in the area of its underside, a slot running approximately parallel to the clamping mouth, passing from edge to edge, and/or a projecting strip.
 9. The device according to claim 2, whereby the plate-shaped retaining body is designed as a disk, which has a circumferential flattening area.
 10. The device according to claim 2, whereby the plate-shaped retaining body is designed as a disk, which has a circumferential flattening area and whereby the flattening area runs approximately parallel to the clamping mouth.
 11. The device according to claim 2, whereby the plate-shaped retaining obdy is designed as a disk, which has a circumferential flattening area and whereby the retaining body is provided for preference in the area opposite the flattening area with a decorative element designed for preference in the manner of a precious stone.
 12. The device according to claim 1, whereby the retaining body is made of plastic. 